This is subjective and possibly not backed up by statistics, but it seems to me that this team has very recently made the switch from being the kind of team that has to score early in order to compete, to a team that is both resilient (dropping a single goal down no longer feels like a disaster) and always a threat to the death. I never felt much panic yesterday because even when they were shutting us down we weren’t giving them a whole lot. I won’t say the Talles goal felt inevitable, but it felt like the flip side of when your underdog team is tied or up late with a Real or a Liverpool or an Italy or a Germany, and the top team calmly squashes your dreams because they are just more composed and more talented. I’ve almost never felt that about any team I’ve supported, but City has started to feel that way. And it’s a good feeling.
Was watching the UK feed of the game last night and it was interesting to hear their take on the differences between the two teams.
1. The announcers couldn't understand why after every foul in NYCFC's half Philly kept hoofing balls into the box from 40 yards out.
2. They described Philly very much as "Route 1 football." They just didn't have the tactics to break through the thirds and undress a team like NYCFC.
3. Philly lacked ideas. They relied heavily on an athletic form of run and gun attack which, predictably, get's tiring for a team missing key players. It seemed it was only a matter of time before NYCFC got that second goal.